✈️ Egypt’s Echo: Why This Ancient Land Speaks to African American Hearts

Toni Reid
Jul 24
3 min read

Updated: Jul 27

Sunsetting in Egypt with camels and pyramids — Sunset in Egypt

I didn’t expect to cry at 6:12 AM in a hot-air balloon. But there I was, floating above the Nile, in a woven basket with 12 strangers, blinking through mist and mascara as the Valley of the Kings stretched below me like a memory I couldn’t place.

I didn’t cry because it was beautiful, though it was. I could have cried because it felt… familiar. The smell of morning firewood, the warmth of people’s greetings, and the way a stranger handed me tea like I was already family. Egypt didn’t feel like a trip. It felt like a return.

In conversation an African-American woman and an Egyptian woman — Black American woman and an Egyptian woman

🌍 Are Egyptians Black?

Let’s get real for a sec. Egypt is in Africa. Full stop. But no, modern Egyptians aren’t what we’d call "Black" in the African American, U.S. census sense. They're ethnically mixed, rooted in North Africa and the Middle East. But here’s the thing—culture doesn’t need to match skin tone to echo your soul.

Have you ever met someone at a cookout and immediately vibe? That’s what Egypt felt like. A cultural cousin. One, you just forgot you had.

👵🏾 The Hair Braid Moment

In a Nubian village outside Aswan, you can watch a grandmother braid her granddaughter’s hair, then feel the urge to FaceTime your auntie just to tell her you missed her. The technique? Identical. Down to the way she sealed the ends with a twist and snap. That’s not a coincidence. That’s continuity.

And just like my family back home, she braided while storytelling, pausing to sip hibiscus tea and swat flies like a Jedi.

Auntie braiding hair on porch (AI) — Auntie braiding hair on the porch

😂 Egypt Will Humble You, But in a Loving Way

Top 3 Things I Wasn’t Ready For:

Crossing the street in Cairo = extreme sport.
Camels smell like gym socks marinated in garlic. Cute from afar. Sentient musky beasts up close.
The “papyrus shop” hustle. They will offer you tea, tell you your energy is royal, then try to sell you a $400 scroll. Respect it. Laugh. Decline.

🌅 Why the Hot-Air Balloon Hit Different

Yes, there are balloons in Cappadocia and Kenya. But Luxor? Baby. You’re flying over temples built by people who believed the soul traveled west with the sun. You’re watching farmers move through fields the same way their ancestors did 4,000 years ago.

Hot tip: Bring tissues. Bring quiet. And bring someone you don’t mind getting emotionally exposed around.

📚 Fun Facts They Don’t Teach You in School

The oldest continuously operating university in the world is in Fes, Morocco — the University of al-Qarawiyyin, founded by a North African woman, Fatima al-Fihri, in 859 CE. Yes, a woman built a scholarly empire before most of Europe figured out bathing.

However, don’t sleep on Egypt: Al-Azhar University in Cairo, founded nearly a millennium later in 970 CE, has become the intellectual powerhouse of the Islamic world. For centuries, it has been a global hub for theology, astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy.

Moral of the story?

North African women stay setting academic trends — and if you’re part of the Culture Crew, you’re standing on their shoulders every time you ask “What’s the story here?”

“Kemet” (the original name for Egypt) means Black Land—a nod to the rich Nile soil, not skin color, but the double meaning doesn’t go unnoticed.

🧳 Travel Tips for the Culture Crew

Pack light, dress respectfully. Long sleeves. Linen. Don’t try to out-sun Egypt. You will lose.
Tea is hospitality. Accept it—even if it’s hot and you’re sweating like you’re late to choir rehearsal.
Don’t over-plan. Leave room to wander, sit, listen. Egypt doesn’t reward checklists—it rewards presence.

💬 Final Thought: What Egypt Gave Me

Egypt isn’t just a destination — it’s a deep conversation across centuries. It doesn’t matter if you arrive with a tour group or solo. If you show up with curiosity and respect, Egypt will respond.